


For Want of a New Beginning

by AzulaLavellan



Series: To Make Life My Own [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Implied/Referenced Major Character Death, Post-Episode: s03e18-21 Sozin's Comet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-23 21:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12516836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzulaLavellan/pseuds/AzulaLavellan
Summary: A year after the War, Iroh has returned to Ba Sing Se to re-open the Jasmin Dragon. Late one evening he receives some unexpected visitors. Oneshot from Iroh's point of view.





	For Want of a New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Any feedback would be much appreciated :) <3

Shadows fell over Ba Sing Se in peace. After enduring three sieges over the course of the Hundred Years War, the damage was extensive but after the past year much was repaired, and life had gone back to normal. Most of the rest of the world was recovering as well. Zuko was crowned Fire Lord and his bride, Katara, had given birth to Crown Princess Izumi. Aang was travelling with his partner Toph Beiphong attempting to heal the hurts of the war. Suki and Ty Lee were guarding the Fire Lord with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. For most the peace was a victory. For Aang and his friends it was bitter sweet. When Zuko and Katara lead the raid on Boiling Rock, Sokka, who was in a fire nation prison, was sentenced to death by the former Fire Lord. After the war’s end no record could be found of his fate. Princess Azula went missing within a week after Ozai ordered Sokka’s execution. After Fire Lord Zuko could not find any new information, he issued a 200,000 ban reward on Azula to bring her in for questioning regarding Sokka’s disappearance. Although Aang and his companions did their best to work through their sorrow and move on, Katara continued on with the hope that one day, Sokka would return.

A few months after Zuko’s Coronation, Iroh moved from Royal Caldera City to Ba Sing Se, hired Smellerbee and Longshot, and re-opened the Jasmin Dragon. For him, this was his dream, being at peace with his own tea shop once again. At this time of night most of his patrons had left, going back home to sleep, to work, or to other businesses open past sunset. Due to the late hour, he had sent Smellerbee home to Longshot, finished up with a few customers and was preparing to close when the soft ring of his bell came. Looking up, Iroh saw a man and woman who must be in a relationship as the woman was holding his left hand with their fingers interlaced the way couples do. Both were hooded and wrapped in travel stained, warn grey and brown cloaks that were probably Earth Kingdom green when they were new. The man carried himself like a soldier, walking with confidence but not too fast that his companion couldn’t keep up. Everything about his face but lower half was obscured in the shadow of his hood; he had a brown beard along his jawline and chin and had the complexion of a water tribesman. His companion’s face was also shadowed by her hood, but she was entirely different, having full lips and a pale complexion with locks of strawberry blond hair peeking out. Though she carried herself with a straight back and the confidence that the soldier had, Iroh could see her nervousness in the way she gripped his forearm with her right hand and the way she looked around the room. Iroh approached to couple and directed them to a small table.

“It’s a wonderful evening, is it not? Might a suggest a blend of chamomile?”

The woman nodded, not at Iroh but at her companion, who had removed his hood revealing a full head of brown hair pulled back in a loose ponytail and familiar deep blue eyes that reminded Iroh very much of the Fire Lady. 

“Are you Iroh, General of the Fire Nation?” the man asked.

“Former General, but yes, Mr….”

“Tianlon,” the man replied, then gestured at the woman. “This is my wife.”

Iroh looked at the woman, who had also taken off her hood to reveal her long strawberry blond hair and a set of piercing amber eyes laced with hope yet also fear. He instantly recognized those eyes and wondered as they were not eyes that he would have ever guessed would contain fear. 

“We came to you for help.” The woman said as she looked at her husband as if for courage. Her unforgettable voice confirmed Iroh’s conclusion. He raised his eyebrows at the couple.

“We need shelter, and well,” The man said with a wave of his hand. “We are willing to work for it. We need jobs too.”

“Why not go to your family in the Fire Nation?” Iroh asked the woman. “Im sure…”

The woman shook her head rather violently before forlornly staring at her hands in her lap.

“Circumstances prevent us from going to our family.” The man replied, passing Iroh a Pai Sho tile. “We were told we could trust you to help us.”

“That is not surprising,” Iroh nodded as he picked up the white lotus tile, passing it between his fingers. “I might be able to, Mr. and Mrs. Tianlon. But first let me close my shop.” 

Iroh got up to lock the front door, shut the windows, and preceded to brew some Jasmin tea knowing it was the woman’s favorite. He returned with three cups and the steaming pot and poured for the couple. 

“Please drink.” He said before sipping his own tea. The man sipped but the woman stared at the tea in front of her before taking a tentative sip herself. Her face lit up before contorting with worry and shock.

“How did you know?”

“I would never forget what my niece’s favorite tea is.” Iroh replied with a grin. “If I may ask, Mr. Tianlon, what is your first name?”

“I guess there isn’t any point in hiding anymore.” Azula replied with a sigh. “My husband’s name is Sokka.” 

“Well.” Iroh said as he kept his surprise at that revelation hidden. “Azula, Sokka, tell me your tale, start from the beginning.”

**Author's Note:**

> I dont own Avater or its characters. but i do love the series. <3 
> 
> This will be part of a much larger multipart fanfic that will start with Day of the Black Sun and end during Legend of Korra. obviously a major redemption ark is coming :P
> 
> based on and inspired by Living life and Life Collapses, by whitetigerwolfe, two of my all time favorite A:TLA fics (links to these works in the notes of Book 1: Turmoil). Go find whitetigerwolfe on Fanfiction.net; they have some awesome stuff! <3
> 
> if you have feedback i would love to hear it :) <3
> 
> Edit: forgot an important detail, now its been added ;P  
> Edit2: I changed the narrative and a little for Books 2/3, edited this work accordingly.


End file.
